NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Gastric Cancer

The NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc orthotopic mouse model for gastric cancer grows a HER2-amplified human gastric carcinoma as an invasive primary tumor in the stomach wall of nude mice, with spontaneous lymph node and organ metastasis that can be followed non-invasively by bioluminescence. Focused solely on preclinical oncology services, Alfa Cytology delivers this model as a complete package: authenticated cell supply, precise subserosal implantation, scheduled in vivo bioluminescence imaging, and endpoint histopathological confirmation of invasion and metastasis.

Overview of NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Gastric Cancer

NCI-N87 is a human gastric carcinoma cell line derived in 1976 by A. Gazdar and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute from a liver metastasis of a well-differentiated (intestinal-type) gastric carcinoma taken from a male patient before any cytotoxic therapy; the tumor was passaged three times as a xenograft in athymic nude mice before the line was established. The cells display an epithelial morphology, grow adherently in vitro, and carry a molecular profile of considerable translational interest: ERBB2/HER2 is amplified, making NCI-N87 trastuzumab-sensitive, while the line is also EGFR positive and moderately positive for HER3 and HER4, microsatellite stable, homozygous for the TP53 p.Arg248Gln mutation, and deleted for SMAD4. Because of its human origin, the line requires an immunocompromised host, and its HER2-driven biology has made it a standard workhorse for studying HER2-targeted agents and combination strategies.

Fig 1. Establishment of an NCI-N87-Luc orthotopic gastric cancer model by direct injection of luciferase-expressing tumor cells into the gastric subserosal layer, with bioluminescence and histopathology confirming localized tumor engraftment. (Feng, Hai‑Yi, et al., 2018)

In orthotopic applications, luciferase-expressing NCI-N87 cells are injected directly into the subserosa of the gastric body, where they form a primary tumor with a reported 100% engraftment rate and grow in a time-dependent fashion that weekly bioluminescence imaging can quantify. Beyond local growth, this model is distinguished by its metastatic program: beginning around week five, tumor cells seed abdominal lymph nodes at four anatomical stations (gastric, pancreaticoduodenal, mesenteric, and lumbar), progressing to multi-station involvement and skip metastases by weeks eight to ten, with occasional spread to the spleen, liver, and lung. Subserosal inoculation rather than surface fragment fixation limits cell shedding into the peritoneal cavity, and the model’s imaging sensitivity—reportedly down to a few hundred cells—makes it well suited to dissecting lymph node metastasis dynamics and evaluating anti-metastatic agents. Figure 1 outlines the architecture of this orthotopic system.

Cell Line Information: NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc

Few gastric cancer lines combine such a well-documented provenance with a therapeutically actionable molecular profile. The essential characteristics of NCI-N87 and its luciferase-tagged derivative are summarized below.

Our Services

Working with Alfa Cytology means a single accountable team owns your NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc orthotopic study from authenticated cell banks, through the subserosal surgery and weekly IVIS sessions, to a final data package that pairs photon-flux curves with H&E-verified metastasis counts.

Workflow of NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Constructing an NCI-N87 or NCI-N87-luc orthotopic gastric tumor follows a tightly choreographed sequence in which cell quality control, subserosal microsurgery, serial bioluminescence imaging, and structured endpoint analysis each have a defined place. The sequence below reflects the standard execution used for this platform.

1. Cell Line Verification and Expansion: NCI-N87 or NCI-N87-luc cells are recovered from authenticated stocks, confirmed by STR profiling and mycoplasma testing, and expanded in serum-supplemented medium under standard in vitro conditions.
2. Luciferase Calibration (NCI-N87-luc Only): Signal output per cell is verified so that in vivo photon flux can be interpreted quantitatively throughout the study.
3. Mouse Preparation and Randomization: Female BALB/c nude mice (commonly 4–5 weeks old) are acclimatized and distributed into groups by body weight, with anesthesia and perioperative analgesia administered per approved animal protocols.
4. Gastric Exposure and Subserosal Inoculation: Through a midline laparotomy under aseptic conditions, the stomach is exteriorized and approximately 5 × 10⁶ cells in a 40 µl volume are injected into the subserosa of the gastric body; gentle pressure with a cotton swab for at least 20 seconds prevents leakage into the peritoneal cavity.
5. Wound Closure and Recovery: The peritoneum and skin are sutured sequentially, and animals recover under warming with daily health monitoring and weekly body weight recording.
6. Longitudinal Bioluminescence Imaging: Following intraperitoneal D-luciferin injection (commonly 150 mg/kg), anesthetized mice are imaged on a scheduled basis to chart primary tumor growth and flag emerging abdominal spread.
7. Scheduled Endpoint Harvesting: At defined study points, animals are necropsied; abdominal lymph nodes at the gastric, pancreaticoduodenal, mesenteric, and lumbar stations plus major organs are excised for ex vivo bioluminescence imaging.
8. Histopathological Confirmation: Tissues are fixed, embedded, and sectioned for H&E staining to verify primary tumor anatomy, confirm lymph node and organ metastases, and complete the data record.

Fig 2. NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc orthotopic mouse model construction workflow.

Case Study-NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Development

Alfa Cytology has supported preclinical programs on the NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc orthotopic platform for clients pursuing HER2-directed strategies, metastasis interception, and combination regimens, delivering scheduled bioluminescence growth curves, lymph node station-by-station metastasis maps, and histologically verified endpoint packages. As every engagement is built around the client’s own therapeutic hypothesis, detailed study outlines and representative datasets are shared upon request.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

The value of the NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc orthotopic platform lies in its fidelity: a HER2-amplified primary tumor that invades locally and reproduces the lymph node dissemination patterns seen clinically. Alfa Cytology’s disciplined execution protects that fidelity while keeping studies efficient.

• Authenticated cell banks with STR and mycoplasma verification before any in vivo work begins.
• Proven subserosal implantation technique that achieves high, consistent engraftment while avoiding peritoneal leakage.
• Scheduled in-house bioluminescence imaging calibrated for quantitative tumor burden readouts.
• Station-by-station lymph node mapping with ex vivo imaging and H&E confirmation.
• Study designs covering HER2-targeted therapy, metastasis interception, and combination strategies.
• One dedicated project team responsible for the study from design through final data delivery.

Contact Us

If your program needs a HER2-amplified gastric cancer model with clinically relevant lymph node spread, Alfa Cytology can build the NCI-N87 / NCI-N87-luc orthotopic study around your therapeutic candidate. Contact us today to discuss study design and scheduling, or reach out to our team for a customized quotation.

For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.